The New Orleans Saints officially have the bragging rights associated with being atop betrepublic.com NFL power rankings for three straight weeks, more than any other team. After an unbelievable comeback performance from the Saints, they remain at the pinnacle of the rankings.
Another team that entered Sunday with its undefeated credentials intact got handed its first loss this week. The Vikings lost to the Steelers, but fell just two spots to No. 5. Meanwhile, the Steelers continue to climb and claw their way back towards the top spot, checking in this week at No. 4.
Sorry, Patriots fans, heading into the bye Tom Brady and crew stay at No. 6 following their obliteration of the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Old Country.
The Arizona Cardinals continue to ascend the rankings, this time leaping seven spots into the top 10 at No. 8. The largest collapse in the rankings takes us to the "Windy City." The Bears plummet nine spots and now sit at No.20 after a dismal performance against the Bengals.
For a league that prides itself on parity, there are a lot of good teams and a lot of awful teams. For that reason, there wasn't much movement at the bottom as many teams are getting comfortable in their lowly spots, where they cannot escape the wafting stench of their first-half performances.
New Orleans Saints1. (Last week, 1) 6-0-0 Thirty-six points in one half is pretty impressive. Great teams in the NFL are never out of games and the Saints proved they can come back from any deficit. This win will definitely be a confidence builder for the Saints. Quick stats to throw out: Saints are scoring 39.7 points per game. They have scored 238 points so far this season; that is the second most in NFL history through six games.
2. (2) 6-0-0 Peyton Manning is playing better than he ever has in his career. Since Manning has been playing so well, the Colts defense has fallen below the radar. Indy's D is giving up just 12.8 points a game. That's the second best in the league.
Denver Broncos3. (4) 6-0-0 Six straight wins deserves five days off according to Josh McDaniels. The rookie head coach gave his team the time off and they will be fresh, well rested and prepared to take on the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday.
Pittsburgh Steelers 4. (8) 5-2-0 Heading into the bye, the Steelers are finally looking like the defending Super Bowl champs. Let's see how the defensive line responds to the loss of Aaron Smith. The loss of Smith could be just as damaging as if the Steelers had lost Troy Polamalu for the season.
Minnesota Vikings5. (3) 6-1-0 The Vikings ran into a very hot Steelers team at Heinz Field and the result was a loss. The Vikings turned the ball over in the red zone and that killed them. Minnesota should be able to fix its mistakes and move on. Exciting matchup next Sunday, when Brett Favre travels back to Green Bay.
New England Patriots 6. (6) 5-2-0 The Patriots head into their bye week at a perfect time as they are a little beat up. Ty Warren and Randy Moss were the latest Patriots players to suffer injuries. This is a good time for the Pats to heal up and prepare for a tough schedule ahead. Miami, @ Indy, Jets, and @ New Orleans will be no easy task.
Cincinnati Bengals7. (9) 5-2-0 After a poor performance last week against the Texans, the Bengals came out firing. Cincinnati demolished the Bears and made a statement to the NFL. If Carson Palmer continues to trend towards being the quarterback that he was a couple seasons ago, the Bengals will be a tough opponent week after week.
Arizona Cardinals8. (15) 4-2-0 Huge win for the Cardinals in New York on Sunday night. Beanie Wells introduced himself as a playmaking running back and he complimented that offense nicely. The Cardinals can build off a great win in New York - their first win at the Meadowlands since 1999.
9. (5) 5-2-0 The Giants beat themselves on Sunday and uncharacteristically turned the ball over four times. The Giants are still one of the best teams in the NFC and will surely fix those mistakes and bounce back with better performances down the road.
Green Bay Packers10. (10) 4-2-0 Aaron Rodgers finally had the luxury of a strong run game on Sunday against the Browns. The Packers QB turned in another great performance but it was against one of the most putrid teams in the National Football League. Rodgers and the Packers face a real test this Sunday against the Vikings. The last time these two teams played, Rodgers was sacked eight times.
Dallas Cowboys11. (20) 4-2-0 The Dallas defense was finally able to rush the quarterback and that resulted in a win against a pretty solid team. Dallas was able to get to Matt Ryan four times and force two interceptions. The NFC East division title is suddenly a reality again for the Cowboys with the Giants suffering their second straight loss.
12. (7) 4-2-0 The Falcons are allowing over 350 yards per game on defense. One of the main reasons is because of the defensive line's inability to put pressure on the quarterback. The Falcons need to improve in that area before they take on Drew Brees and the Saints on Monday night or else they are in for a long evening.
13. (13) 3-3-0 The Ravens are well rested and should be well prepared to give the Broncos their first loss of the season. Let's see if Baltimore will be able to eliminate stupid penalties. If the Ravens can play smart football, they'll need their struggling cornerbacks to find a way to contain Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal; if they can do that, Joe Flacco will do the rest.
New York Jets14. (14) 4-3-0 The Raiders were just what the doctor ordered for Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets. Despite the loss of Leon Washington, the Jets run game stepped up and rushed the ball for over 300 yards. Shonn Green filled in nicely for Washington. The Jets need to rely on their run game and have Mark Sanchez manage games instead of being the main playmaker.
15. (16) 4-2-0 You can't take much from a win against the Redskins. Washington beat themselves more than the Eagles dominated. Philadelphia now will square off against the Giants and Cowboys in back-to-back weeks. These two divisional games will say a lot about what kind of team the Eagles are.
16. (17) 3-3-0 The San Diego Super Chargers dismantled a bad Chiefs team. They still haven't demonstrated that they can make plays on the defensive side of the ball. The Chargers will have a tough time winning a wild card spot with teams like the Ravens, Jets, and Bengals all looking like stronger teams to this point of the season.
Houston Texans17. (19) 3-3-0 After back-to-back wins, the Texans are starting to look like a team that can have a winning record. Matt Schaub and the Texans offense continues to play well. Schuab now leads the league in passing yards and touchdown passes.
Miami Dolphins18. (18) 2-4-0 The Dolphins have a 2-0 record in the AFC East division with the easy part of their schedule ahead of them. However, don't count on this Chad to be able to lead the Dolphins to the a playoff spot. Chad Henne is no Pennington and showed his lack of experience in the second half against the Saints when the Dolphins needed him most.
San Francisco 49ers19. (12) 3-3-0 Despite his good performance, it's tough to believe Alex Smith is the solution at the quarterback position for the 49ers. Smith has the potential but has been unable to prove he can win games. It doesn't get easier for the 49ers next week, when they'll be at Indianapolis.
Chicago Bears20. (11) 3-3-0 Jay Cutler threw three more interceptions on Sunday and now has 10 interceptions on the year.
Buffalo Bills21. (23) 3-4-0 The Bills were able to win their third game of the season but struggled again offensively.
